THE SALVAGE YARD WAS EMPTY.

no staff appeared to be working that day with the exception of the security guard manning the gate. kiara was going to approach him and explain that she had a flat tire on the boat trailer carrying the hms pogue, as him for some air, and when he opened to gate, everyone else would slip through and steal the drone.

"this is probably the dumbest idea you've ever had." emery mumbled from next to jj. "are you sure you even have the right numbers for the lock? how long ago was it when your dad got fired?"

"it's just been a couple weeks, i'm sure they're right." the blonde replied, everyone watching as kiara approached the guard and hearing the cheeriness in her voice as she asked him for air.

"she sounds like me answering the phone at heyward's." mara mentioned. "i'm never that happy to sell someone two pounds of shrimp."

"i'm never happy to be at heyward's, period. no offense, pope." emery said quickly, the dark haired boy shaking his head.

"none taken."

hey, he's opening the gate." john b whisper-shouted, motioning for the group to follow him as they slinked back behind where the guard was following kiara before dashing through the gate, which closed far faster than it opened. everyone followed jj, who took them to a large metal barn, pulling a sticky note out of his back pocket and putting the numbers into the lock, but it wasn't working.

"you're positive you have the right numbers?" mara asked, jj dropping the note and looking between her and emery embarrassedly.

"okay, i might have the wrong numbers." he mumbled, emery sighing heavily and mara rolling her eyes.

"dude, are you serious?" emery yelled, a dog rounding the corner, barking it's head off.

"that's a cougar, come on!" john b shouted, grabbing emery's arm and pulling her around the corner with him as the dog chased after pope.

"i've got a toy, boy!" jj called, waving a bandana around as the dog turned to him and levi, jj's eyes widening.

"not really- shit!" he yelled, levi running with pope back towards the gate as jj grabbed mara and began running from the dog.

john b and emery looped back around the barn, john b grabbing a brick and busting the lock as emery pulled the door open, the outer banks sunlight shining in onto the pavement.

the drone was visible just inside the door, sitting on a dolly. john b grabbed it, emery taking the cable, the two pulling it out of the barn and towards the back gate where they could exit without being seen.

they had the drone.

"UP HERE, COME ON!"

jj shouted at mara, pulling her by the hand towards a ladder propped up against a large boat, both of them rushing up it as the dog stopped to sit at the bottom, barking at them repeatedly. jj pulled mara into the boat and crouched on the ground against the side, holding mara's hand tightly in his.

the sound of someone running up next to the boat as well as an indecipherable voice could be heard from below the boat, mara's breath hitching as she tightened her grip on jj's hand.

"whoever's up there better come on down!" the guard yelled, jj glancing over at mara.

"just follow my lead." he mumbled, voice shaking slightly as he let go of her hand, putting his arms up in surrender and stood, gesturing for mara to do the same. "wait, bobby, don't shoot!"

mara stood up, arms up to show she meant no harm as the security guard dropped the gun he had had pointed where jj and mara were crouched, his hands falling to his waist as he realized that it was two teenagers who had broken into the salvage yard.

"it's me, jj. luke's kid?" jj continued, voice shaky as ever, mara slightly shocked at his quick acting.

"who's she?" bobby asked, jj sighing.

"half-sister. just moved in, she's mom's daughter. she's mute." jj explained, bobby nodding, apparently satisfied with this answer as mara tried her best to keep herself composed.

"whatre you two doing?" bobby began questioning jj again, clearly less upset than he had been before.

"look, we didn't want to, alright?" jj replied, but bobby shook his head.

"don't you lie to me." he threatened, jj shaking his head.

"dad said captain leo kept his cutting torch from when he got fired." jj explained, bobby's face softening. mara was able to keep her face solemn, she already knew about jj's dad, she and emery both did. jj was most comfortable with them and john b, they were the ones who heard most of- if not all the details- of what happened when jj went home to his dad. "he said if i didn't get it... he was gonna hit me again." jj added, head falling as a couple tears ran down his face, it was clear to mara he had played this card before.

"shit." bobby breathed. "you two come down." he ordered, both kids slowly climbing down the ladder as bobby held his dog off of them, mara's hands trembling slightly. "i almost killed you." bobby told them, jj nodding.

"i know." he replied apologetically. "i'll make something up, tell him we couldn't find it." jj told the man, who nodding, glancing at mara who only gave him a blank look before failing after jj, who wiped the loose tears on his face away and smirking. as they walked through the salvage yard, mara saw the door of the barn was open, suggesting that one of the remaining group members had gotten inside and hopefully taken the drone.

"you're such a little shit." mara said in a whisper with a smile, jj grinning back at her.

"that was pretty good, i'd love to see you come up with something like that. i think he even felt bad for me, he's a real hard-ass too." jj explained, mara shrugging as they walked out the back gate, following the small path the two knew went back to the cut and the chateau.

"i sent emery a text, let her know we're alive." mara explained as she put her phone in her back pocket. "she said they're all at the chateau, we'll meet them there and then probably go to the wreck."

"good, 'cause im starving." jj dragged out, mara rolling her eyes at the boy and smiling.

"when are you not?" she asked, jj shoving her shoulder playfully as they continued down the path towards the cut, both feeling incredibly content in that moment.

"STEALING DRONES MAKES YOU HUNGRY."

jj said as he climbed out of the back of the twinkie, emery getting out of the front with john b as everyone else filed out behind jj.

"let's go, i'm starving." emery dragged out.

"what i could do to a beer and shrimp and grits right now." jj fantasized out loud.

"it would not be pretty." pope added as the group walked into the wreck, kiara's family's restaurant.

"hey, mr. carrera!" emery called as she leaned on the front counter, mara and levi following the boys back to the back of the restaurant while kiara and emery stood up front with mike.

"did you turn it over today?" kiara asked, mike shaking his head.

"not once." he complained.

"if you need me to take some shifts i can, they don't have to be paid either." emery added, mike smiling gratefully at her.

"while i most definitely appreciate the offer, emery, it's not the staff that's my issue." he assured her.

"it's probably just bad luck because of the storm." kiara reasoned, mike nodding as he pulled his daughter into a hug.

"i'll be sure to tell the banks that." he replied, kiara shrugging.

"i guess now's not the best time to ask for free food for me and my friends." she said hopefully, mike scoffing as he looked up at the boys and mara in the corner.

"look at them." mike told his daughter. "with the exception of emery's brother and mara, they're greedy pelicans. i thought i told you to stop hanging around these guys."

"well, everyone at the kook academy hates me." kiara replied.

"hates us." emery corrected. "and if it's about money, i can pay, mr. c. keep my check by the counter and i'll bring you cash tomorrow."

"you guys never gave them a chance." mike told the girls.

"i did give them a chance." kiara defended herself. "then they got all stuck up on me, i mean, they care more about shoes than surfing, what am i supposed to do with that? these are my friends- these are our friends." kiara added, motioning between herself and emery as she glanced up at the boys, who all waved at mike. the older man sighed before looking at emery.

"again, i appreciate the offer, emery, but i'd have to throw it out anyways, i'll just let you guys have it." mike explained, the carrera and melville girls exchanging smiles before emery walked over to the group, motioning for them to sit as she walked towards the radio in the corner, changing it to one of her favorite reggae stations.

she and kiara brought baskets of food out to the ling table where all the teens had sat, knowing who wanted what without having to ask. when everything was brought out and drinks were filled, emery sat between john b and levi while kiara sat at the end of the table next to pope.

"heads up!" emery called as she tossed french fry down the table, which jj caught in his mouth, earning cheers from everyone around him. a slower song came on the radio, emery motioning for john b to follow her as she got up and moved towards the dance floor that was cleared out in the middle of the room, the brunette following her out onto the floor and spinning with her, jj and mara soon joining while levi, kiara, and pope all stayed at the table.

"for someone who has pretty much always danced with two left feet, you're exceeding my expectations." mara praised jj, who bowed his head to her slightly and pulled her off the floor as the song ended, john b and emery following them back to the table.

"that was adorable." levi said sarcastically to his sister, who rolled her eyes and flipped him off.

"i broke your ex-situationship's current boyfriend's nose- did that timeline work? i think so, anywho- and i will gladly break yours too." she threatened, reaching into her brother's basket and grabbing a piece of popcorn shrimp that she tossed into the air and caught in her mouth, receiving whoops of congratulations from jj and john b.

"so let's talk about this gold shit." mara piped up. "what's the plan?"

"find it?" levi replied confusedly, mara reaching across the table to smack him on the arm.

"obviously, but like, when we find it, what happens. you can't exactly show up with four hundred million in gold and expect to just get the cash right away."

"are we sure it's still worth four hundred million?" emery asked, everyone looking at her like she had a third head.

"how would it not?" john b asked.

"i don't know if you know how the stock market works, but gold is currently nowhere near as valuable as it was in the sixteen hundreds." she explained. "it could only be worth a couple million now, depends how much the rate's changed."

"you're so constantly negative." levi told his sister disapprovingly.

"who got left for rafe cameron?" emery asked, levi slumping back in his chair and glaring at his younger sister. "yeah, that's what i thought."

"he's got a point. and you can't even make fun of my life, so ha!" jj shouted.

"imagine only having girls like you when you're drunk." emery drug out, mara stifling a laugh at the comment as jj's previously cocky demeanor fell.

"she knows far too much for me to challenge her on the matter." john b added as another dancing song came over the radio, and he grabbed emery by the arm as jj and mara started towards the dance floor. the group stayed at the wreck well into that night, dancing, laughing, and eating, before eventually trekking to emery and levi's house and falling asleep in the melville's living room.

kens speaks 🪐

i updated on my own accord twice? in two days? this is mine boggling and will probably never happen again if i'm being honest.